Third
The Third was the overweight, ugly, and unmotivated wizard apprentice of both One-Eye and Goblin during the Black Company's time in city of Aloe. He was taciturn and showed minimal investment in Company developments. He called himself the Third because he used the same cover name as both his father and grandfather used. "Tides Elba" The Third notified Croaker that One-Eye would be proceeding in an unsanctioned raid to kidnap Tides Elba from the Temple of Occupoa. When Croaker went to confront One-Eye, the Third departed, completely uninterested in the situation or weighing in. Later, before the officially-sanctioned mission is underway, the Captain orders both One-Eye and the Third away to a place called Utbank parish, ostensibly so that they could not endanger the mission by attempting to run a con. They are retrieved and flown back to the Company's compound by the Limper on his flying carpet. "Smelling Danger" The Third accompanies One-Eye on yet another livestock census. This is busywork from the Captain apparently as punishment for his reckless behavior during "recent events". One-Eye derelicts his duties, which is his typical behavior, but the Third realizes that One-Eye is not complaining about the lack of women or booze or gambling. Instead, strangely, One-Eye is complaining only about being away from the Company's headquarters. When the Third questions him why, One-Eye is confused and cannot explain himself. They are caught in a devastating downpour of hailstones, and the Third is injured. One-Eye slashes his wrists, erases his memory, leaves him with a local pig farmer, and returns to the Company alone. When the Third is brought to Croaker's infirmary on a stretcher for medical attention, he is unresponsive. The slash wounds on his wrists are not deep, but Croaker and the others assume it was attempted suicide. The Captain orders that the Third be awakened for questioning. Croaker uses smelling salts to wake him up, and Goblin questions his apprentice about One-Eye's recent behavior. The Third states that he did not attempt to kill himself, and cannot explain his wrist wounds. Croaker realizes that One-Eye must have done it: just another example of a string of One-Eye's recent inexplicable behavior. The Third's injuries are serious enough for him to remain behind and convalesce while the rest of the Company counterattacks a Rebel operative named Cannon Shear. It would soon be revealed that One-Eye was not responsible for his actions, including his assault on the Third, as he was under the influence of the Limper's malevolent sorcery. "Bone Candy" One-Eye, one of the Third's mentors, goes into hiding after Two Dead and Buzz (two of Whisper's high-ranking sorcerers) arrive in Aloe. The Third stays with One-Eye in his derelict shack and even attempts to steal food for both of them from the Company's foodstuffs. Otto finds the Third with a large quantity of bacon, and the Captain has the young wizard shackled for thievery. At Croaker's clinic, Silent puts Two Dead into a healing coma after he is attacked by beetles from an infested chinkami. After Silent disappears, Croaker attempts to awaken Two Dead to get his permission to amputate his arm, but medicine cannot undo Silent's wizardry. Croaker and the Captain bring the Third back into the clinic to help. After warning them that Two Dead might be hysterical with the pain, he brings the man out of the magic coma. When Croaker realizes that amputation is necessary, the Third sincerely apologizes in advance to Two Dead, readily admitting that he has no experience with medical sorcery. While Croaker performs the operation, the Third is disgusted by the blood and gore. But Croaker gets him talking, and he mentions that Goblin and One-Eye disappeared only to get the full story about both Two Dead and Buzz. After the successful amputation, the Captain has Otto and his subordinates follow the Third to One-Eye's hiding place. Category:Characters Category:Black Company Category:Wizards of the Black Company Category:Wizards